Miracle
by mardel
Summary: What would Bailey have done if he'd been at the WTC on 9-11


  
  
Miracle  
by mardel  
  
PG-13   
  
I just borrowed them for the story. This story is about the WTC disaster. If Bailey had  
been there what would he have done.  
  
  
Bailey couldn't believe it was happening. He'd just arrived at the WTC, he was in a   
parking garage several levels below the street. An announcement had come on over the  
building address system to evacuate the build. He was helping people it was only three  
flights up to the ground floor. He kept guiding people towards the stairs and the exits.  
He was on his cell phone to New York Field Office but the line was always busy.   
The portition of the garage he was in was finally empty of people. He called to the guard  
at the top of the ramp to close the door so no one would be allowed inside by mistake.   
The guard told him there was a call from the next level down, where the shopping area  
was. People were still there.   
"I'm on my way."   
  
Bailey ran up the stairs on one side of the building and meet a group of firemen entering  
the lobby.   
"I'm with the FBI where do need help?"   
The lead fireman said, " See if you can herd any one out from the lower levels."   
"I cleared the garage level, I'll go to the shopping level."   
"Don't take too long. I don't want to have to come looking for you later." The fireman   
told him and headed towards the stair well.   
  
Bailey made his way to the other side of the lobby where there was an access stair to the  
shopping level. He met a few dozen people climbing up the stairs but not as many as   
he thought should be climbing out.   
  
He saw dozens of people milling around in the shopping area. A security guard was   
telling them to head for the stairs. Some where listening, some where waiting for the  
elevators that weren't running.   
  
"Listen up people!" Bailey stood in the middle of the crowd. "Evacuate the building,   
NOW! the stairs are just here on the left, it's only three flights up to the ground level."   
  
Three woman near him burst into tears and couldn't move. Bailey paired them up with  
others that understood what was happening and herded them all towards the stairs.   
It was now twenty-five minutes since the announcement had come over the speaker   
system.   
  
Bailey started checking stores for people, he found only shop owners trying to close up.  
"Leave it, is a little bit of money worth your life?" he told them.   
"It's my life's savings here in this shop." a man told him.   
"Do you have a family?"   
"Yes." he nodded.  
"Go home to them. They won't care about the money if you aren't alive."   
The man nodded again "Thank you." and sprinted for the exit.   
  
Bailey was at the far end of the shopping plaza when the roar of the building collapsing  
on it's self came. He jumped into a large doorway, and covered his head. It was only  
forty five seconds later the dust was so thick he could barely breath. He could see   
nothing. He did hear screams of people. But he'd not seen anyone anywhere near him  
when the crash had come. He tried his cell phone again, hitting the button to dial his  
own home phone number. It didn't connect. He tried to call the VCTF number and it  
answered.   
  
"Fraley"  
"George I'm in the WTC, basement level shopping area."  
"God Bailey it was just hit by a jumbo jet. the North tower collapsed."  
"I'm under the north tower. I'll gather as many people as are still here in  
the west corner of the basement, it's still holding up."  
"I'll let the authorities know Bail. Save your battery."  
"Thanks George." Bailey hung up the dust was settling a little he could see about  
four feet now. He heard people crying. He pulled out his sapphire light a gift from  
Sam two years before. It was the smallest flash light he'd ever seen, but it's light  
was soft blue and didn't weaken for over fifty feet.   
  
Bailey peered into the darkness, his tiny light showing him debris everywhere but the  
ceiling was still holding. He made his way back towards the sound of people in distress.  
He wished he had a first aid kit of some type. Then remembered there was a drug store   
near the stairway. If that area was still accessible.   
  
"Hello, can you guide me to where you are?" Bailey called out in a deep base voice.  
  
"Over here, over here." Came several replies from the same area.   
  
"I'm on the way." Bailey climbed over a section of fallen ceiling tiles and found two  
people huddled in the doorway of a shop, one an elderly woman. One a young man  
with a name tag on his shirt.   
  
"Are you hurt?" Bailey asked them both.  
"Yes, no I think I twisted my ankle."   
"I was helping her towards the stairs." The man said, he looked very scared but he was  
willing to look to Bailey for guidance.   
"If it's held up this long I think it will continue to hold." Bailey reached to feel the   
woman's leg. He though it was broken, but he couldn't be sure. It was swollen already.  
"Stay here I'm going to get first aid supplies and look for other people I'll be back."   
Amazingly the emergency lighting kicked in then, a little late but the ones that were   
working lighted his way towards the next group of trapped people.   
  
"Hello anyone out there?" Bailey called again.   
  
"Here!" he heard a weak response. Bailey found three people huddled together under the  
escalator to the upper level. A man and two women.  
  
"Anyone hurt here?"   
  
"No, just scared to dead. What happened?" the man said  
"A bomb I know it, it was another bomb." one woman said.   
  
"The tower was hit by a airliner. It must have made part of the tower fall."  
Bailey told them.   
"Oh, my God!"   
The two woman hugged each other and cried. They had friends in the tower above.  
"I've notified people we are here. It may take time to reach us. I'm going to look  
for any other people. Stay here and I'll be back."   
  
"Do you want some help?" the man offered.   
"If you want to come with me." Bailey nodded.   
  
The lights were working in places and not in others, Bailey used his tiny light to look   
inside shops and they called out for anyone to answer them. At the far end of the plaza   
they heard voices calling for help from the upper level of the only large department type  
store in the complex.   
  
"There is an escalator in that store. I'll show you. I'm Paul by the way."   
"Bailey Malone FBI. Thanks for your help Paul." They shook hands quickly and Paul  
lead the way. There were fallen displays of clothing and other things all over the floor.   
  
"Here we are, help us." came the call again.   
The two men looked up and saw a group of people trapped on the upper floor. There was  
also a body laying on the hard floor below them. Bailey moved to fell for a pulse, it   
looked like his neck was broken. Bailey shook his head. Paul bowed his head.   
  
"Come down the escalator. It's stopped." Bailey called to them.  
"We tried it was shooting sparks and we didn't want to be on it if it fell." they yelled   
down.   
Bailey turned to look for a fire extinguisher I think there's one over here. Paul moved   
towards the wall under the emergency light. Bailey shown his light and Paul grabbed the  
large red cylinder off the wall. They moved towards the access panel and looked inside.  
There was fried wiring and the smell of burnt electrical. Paul sprayed a shot of chemical   
inside to be on the safe side.   
  
"It's Ok, now come down the escalator." Bailey called to the group.   
  
Ten employees filed down the escalator in pairs and single. Three men and seven women.   
  
"Is anyone hurt?" Bailey asked, "Do you know if anyone else is up there?"  
"This is everyone. I checked one of the men said."   
"What happened?" a woman asked.   
  
"A airline crashed into the tower, the tower must have partially fallen."   
Bailey explained again.   
  
"We may be here for awhile until rescue comes. Gather together warm clothes,  
and blankets. If you have a cell phone don't use it now. We may need it later  
to direct help towards us."  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"Bailey just called from New York he's trapped in the lower level basement."  
George told John and Rachel.   
  
"I'm on my way." John grabbed two other agents off the floor and head towards  
the airport and the private plane the VCTF had for it's own use."  
  
"Wait up Grant I'm coming to." Rachel grabbed her ready bag and followed him.  
  
"I'll keep in touch. Let you know what's happening." George called.   
  
::::::::::::::::::  
  
  
Bailey and Paul gathered together a total of fourteen people who where still in the   
shopping level. They searched for people and found no one trapped or hurt.   
Bailey had everyone move to the far west end of the plaza, it seemed the best area  
for rescue to come from. George had said the plane hit the tower from the south.  
  
  
"Do you know of supplies in any of these stores? Is there a drug store?"  
Bailey asked Paul and the small group of people.  
"There is a Fast Mart, it carries aspirin and cold medicine." Paul told Bailey.  
  
"Wouldn't they be looking for us?"   
"It might be awhile until they can reach us if part of the building collapsed. We are going   
to have to pull together and take care of our selves until help does come."   
  
Paul and Bailey gathered together supplies from the store, taking snack items, medical   
supplies and water. They carried it all back to the group in four market baskets from the  
store.   
  
"Bailey I've been thinking while we were looking for people. I think there might be a   
way out of here. I've heard rumors that there is a tunnel that connects the two towers.  
It's for maintenance or something like that. It's supposed to be back over that way."   
Paul nodded towards the near end of the shopping area.   
  
"If it's true the rescue people will know about it. I remember once reading about the   
subway tunnels being only a few feet away from the lower level of the WTC. There isn't   
a access to the subway from the lower levels is there?"  
  
"It was in the plans for the original tower. But the Transit authory was against it. They   
have a station only a half block from here and didn't want to add a new stop to the line."  
  
One of the woman spoke up. "My dad helped build this tower, he said they had started   
the tunnel to connect it with the subway before the final word came. So they just walled  
it up."  
  
Bailey nodded. If he had to dig his own way out he would. But he would need tools.   
"Lets give the fire department a chance, they might reach us in a few hours."   
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"George talk to me?"   
"I'm checking, all aircraft has been grounded. You're going to have to land."   
  
"Damn. We are still a couple of hundred miles from New York. Give me the number of  
the local Bureau office. I'll have them bring us a car."   
  
"John I'm all for getting to New York and helping but what do you think you can do that  
hundreds of local cops and firemen can't do?" Rachel asked.   
  
"I don't know but if I'm not on site I can't do anything."   
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
It was several hours later the people were starting to become scared again. Bailey stepped   
away from the group and opened his cell phone hopping that the tower it connected with  
was still functioning. After three tries he got a signal. He dialed The VCTF number,   
knowing George would have as much information as anyone.   
  
"Fraley."  
"George it's Bailey what's the status of the tower area?"   
  
"Both towers fell hundreds of rescue workers were under neath the first tower when it   
went. I've made contact with a fire chief, they are digging out. I advised him you and  
several others people are trapped in the shopping basement area."  
  
"Good. Look George can you get me information about a possible tunnel between  
the towers?"   
"I've looked into that there was one but with both towers down I don't think it will  
lead you anywhere that will help."   
"How about a tunnel started to connect with the subway system?"   
"I'll check into it. Do you want to get a list of names of the people with you and pass  
it on your next call?"   
"Good idea George. I'll call back in two hours." Bailey hung up.  
  
"Paul lets take a look for that subway tunnel."   
  
"I've been talking with Pam here. She said we could call her dad and get a location  
on the tunnel."   
  
"Let's give it a try then." Bailey nodded.  
  
Pam dialed her cell phone but it didn't ring.  
  
  
"Here try this one." Paul passed his phone to her. She dialed and nothing happened,  
she tried again and it rang. "Hello Dad listen I'm at the Trade Center, we are trapped  
in the basement area. I'm fine, but we have to find a way out. Talk to this man and  
tell him where the tunnel you told me about is located. OK?"   
  
Pam handed the phone to Bailey.   
"Hello Sir, I'm Bailey Malone with the FBI. I was trying to help evacuate people here   
when the tower fell.'  
"You take good care of my daughter. What do you need to know?"   
"Sir I understand you helped build this structure?"   
"Yeah, spent six years on site. I know it well."   
"Is there a tunnel connecting the basement area with the subway system?"  
"There was supposed to be, we started it. But the Transit authority wouldn't agree  
to another station. They said the one a block away was close enough."   
"So was the tunnel started?"   
"Yeah over on the north end of the basement level. Where the department store is now.  
It was almost finished when word came down to wall it up."  
"Do you think we could break through there and get into the subway tunnel?"  
"Yeah, sure if you had some twenty pound sledge hammers."   
"How many feet of tunnel were left?"   
"Oh the tunnel was finished, that's why we had to wall it up again. It wouldn't  
take long to break through. Hey, I'll go down to the union hall and see if I can  
round up a few guys to help me with this. Maybe we can get to you."   
"Thank you sir, but if you just tell the authorities about the tunnel they can take   
if from there." Bailey wasn't sure he wanted to risk more lives on their rescue.  
  
"OK, I'll tell them but if they don't take me serious, then I'm heading down  
there my self. Tell Pam I'll see her soon."   
  
"Miss your father says he'll see you soon. Can you tell me how old your father is?"  
Bailey asked.  
  
"He's sixty one, he's still working for the union. He just finished a job last week  
and was spending a few days at home."   
  
"Thank you." Bailey handed the phone back to her. Pam nodded and looked hopeful.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"We need to find some type of heavy hammer or ram we could use to batter down   
that brick wall." Bailey told Paul a short time later. They had gone off to look for  
the tunnel entrance. They were searching the stock room area of the department  
store. There were locked doors in the side wall.   
  
"Where do these doors lead do you know?"   
  
"I'm not sure, I don't think I've seen anyone use them." Paul pulled out the set of keys  
one of the department store employees had passed on to him.   
"None of these keys fit."   
  
"That's not a problem. Bailey took out a small lock pick he'd carried since his first   
office assignment and worked on the lock. It took him a minute but the lock clicked  
and he pulled the door open. A dank rush of air met him as the door swung back.   
He flashed the tiny light down the hallway.   
"I think we found it." Bailey moved aside so Paul could look also. The hallway was  
a typical tunnel like you saw in the subway system. It was long and dark, but if   
they could find tools they could break there way out.  
  
end part one  
  
  



End file.
